Due to significant economic and political shifts, architects in the Renaissance were increasingly called to focus not only on religious structures but also on the needs of growing cities and a rising merchant class. As a result, many new secular buildings were commissioned—elegant palaces, civic halls, and public spaces—such as the Doge’s Palace in Venice, which reflects both Gothic tradition and the emerging humanist ideals of the time.

Giotto di Bondone (c. 1267–1337) is widely regarded as the artist who laid the foundation for the Renaissance. Born near Florence, he rose to become the most celebrated painter of his time, credited with initiating a dramatic shift toward naturalism and human emotion in art.

When comparing the two altarpieces, it becomes clear why Giotto is often called the founder of the Renaissance.

Both works are tempera on wood, designed as altarpieces, and share Byzantine elements such as the gold backgrounds, flat halos, and Gothic pointed arches framing elaborate thrones. However, Giotto begins to move beyond the Gothic tradition, particularly in his use of space and figure rendering, while Cimabue remains rooted in Gothic stylization.

Cimabue’s figures are elongated and elegant, while Giotto’s are solid, grounded, and volumetric. Giotto’s drapery obeys gravity, hugging the body to reveal its form, in contrast to Cimabue’s decorative gold lines. Mary, in Giotto’s painting, becomes a sturdy, queenly figure of this world, not a symbolic icon.

Notably, Giotto uses light and shadow instead of gold to model three-dimensional form, suggesting solidity, depth, and even a hint of contrapposto in the folds around Mary’s waist. In doing so, he lays the groundwork for the naturalism and humanism that define Renaissance art.

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